The current therapy for hydrating nasal airway surfaces is to apply normal saline via drops or spray delivery devices. The disadvantage of this simple approach is that the duration of effect is short. It would be desireable to provide a way to achieve a more lasting hydration of nasal airway surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,789,391 to Jacobus describes methods of treating sinusitis with uridine triphosphates and related compounds such as UTP or P.sup.1,P.sup.4 -di(uridine-5' tetraphosphate (U.sub.2 P.sub.4) in an amount effective to promote drainage of congested fluid in the sinuses by hydrating mucous secretions or by stimulating ciliary beat frequency in the sinuses.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,729 to Boucher describes the use of respirable or non-respirable amiloride to hydrate airway mucous secretions, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,656,256 to Boucher and Stutts describes the use of respirable or non-respirable benzamil and phenamil to hydrate lung mucous secretions. The use of amiloride, benzamil or phenamil to hydrate nasal airway surfaces is neither disclosed nor suggested.